Governor Haslam Announces Community Development Block Grant for Macon County

Grant to Assist with Water Line Extensions

LAFAYETTE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today announced Macon County is the recipient of a Community Development Block Grant that will assist with water line extensions. The project will provide safe, clean drinking water to 37 households.

“Community Development Block Grants have a critical impact on rural Tennessee communities because they help cities and towns make important infrastructure improvements that facilitate economic development,” Haslam said. “With the assistance of CDBG funding, these areas in Macon County will see changes that can lead to additional jobs and improve the quality of life for its residents.” 

Macon County will use its grant dollars to extend water lines to provide clean drinking water to 37 households and 88 people whose current water is sourced from contaminated wells and springs. Additionally, the funding will help ensure that a sufficient amount of water will be available even during dry weather conditions.

The funds were allocated under a procedure authorized by the Tennessee General Assembly. Allocation of CDBG funds is based on priorities set at local levels where community needs are best known. The CDBG program is administered in Tennessee by the Department of Economic and Community Development.

The grant was approved following an application by Macon County and is supported by Sen. Mae Beavers, Rep. Kelly Keisling and Mayor Shelvy Linville.

U.S. Rep. Diane Black also aided in securing the funds.

Details on the project and funding include:

Community	Project	CDBG Amount	Local Funds	Total Amount for Project
Macon County	Water Line Extensions	$500,000	$95,000	$595,000

Additional CDBG recipients will be announced in the upcoming months.

About the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development

The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development’s mission is to develop strategies which help make Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs. The department seeks to attract new corporate investment in Tennessee and works with Tennessee companies to facilitate expansion and economic growth. Find us on the web: tn.gov/ecd.  Follow us on Twitter: @tnecd.  Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/tnecd. 

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